If you come from a similar childhood as me, you may find yourself asking the question, “Is every artist supposed to thrive and prosper in all that God has called them to do?” I grew up with a very rule and religion-based God. One with a lot of emotional and spiritual baggage. My relationship with God was built upon perfection. I was raised to do things the “right” way, coloring inside of the lines, so to speak. But then something amazing happened. I began healing. Jesus began to take all of those wounds and baggage off of me and I began to understand God’s plan for me. Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” When I read the Bible, I see God as a Father. One who wants his sons and daughters to experience the fullness of life that He has provided for us. That is the reason that Jesus came. Not just to save you from Hell, but to restore you to the fullness of the Kingdom. A Different Perspective I find that perspective varies from the one a lot of people hold. Many people think the purpose of the Kingdom is only to get saved and to help other people get saved. And then they just have to “wait on Jesus” and then they are off to Heaven. Now, I don’t know about you, but I didn’t get saved by the blood of Jesus to not use this beautiful place of abundance and provision to reflect and reveal and release His nature. As Christian artists, we can do this uniquely through what God has called us to and how He's designed us. So, how do I know that God's called each of us to prosper as an artist? If God has made you an artist and put you in His Kingdom, how can you deny that? You have no choice but to embrace that in your life, and to prosper. He puts a unique investment into each one of us. The speed at which it grows, the size to which it develops, the breadth and depth to which it gets developed in your life is not up to God. That's up to you. Faithful With Little, Ruler Over Much I want you to think about Matthew 25, The Parable of Talents. The master put an investment into three different men. Two of them came back having doubled what was given to them, having put in the time and dedication for it to multiply. And, because they were faithful with little, they were made the ruler over much. The third man did not do this. He hid away the investment and did not work it. He returned it as it was given to him. In other words, the third man shirked his responsibility. He refused the investment that he had been entrusted with. Your ability to thrive and prosper is not all on the Lord. He’s given you the ability and the opportunity! However, really thriving requires your willingness to come into agreement with God’s plan for your life, day-by-day, moment-by-moment. What’s In Your Hand? One of the first things that I tell artists who want to thrive is this: If you want to start thriving in your life, take one basic, practical step. Ask the Lord. Ask Him, “What is it that you put in my hand?” What is it that He has invested inside of you that no one else has? And how can you begin to take a step in that direction to honor Him and to co-labor with Him in this unique design that He calls you to? As you do that with a heart filled with gratitude and expectation toward all the things that God has for you, you will begin to start feeling the momentum and the move of the Spirit in your life. You'll start experiencing the abundant life that Jesus promised you. I hope this has been a big encouragement to you. If this article has been a blessing to you, take a moment to share it with a friend. Thanks for reading!
1 Comment
Elisha Bonilla
4/22/2020 04:35:28 pm
Thank you Matt for sharing this. I just joined your challenge class as an asnwer to prayer. I'm asking guidance for God to show me where to go and I told him I would walk through every door that he oppened. I thought my "art" door had been closed for good, I thought it could only be a hobby. But being a Creator and having hat in common with God as you have talk about has really struck at my heart strings. I can't stop crying everytime I think about art and the possibility of how God placed it in me for a purpose. I am still strugging a lot with the directionality of where I should go now and all the self doubt that come with it. But at least I have started the journey and I am excited to see where God is going to lead me. I am definitively having this 1-on-1 conversation with God about "What he has placed in my hand" and what he wants me to do with it. Thank you for your inspiration and for being part of getting me back on track with God's gift in my live - my creativity.
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AuthorMatt Tommey is an artist, author and mentor who is passionate about empowering artists to thrive spiritually, artistically and in business. |